Caption: Capons (Gallus gallus domesticus) are castrated roosters, who have had their testicles removed at a young age. There are two main reasons for caponising a rooster. Removal of the testicles causes the bird to put on more fat, which makes it self-basting. Also, it will improve the animal's temperament, so that it can serve as a mother for baby chicks. The practice of caponisation of poultry is banned in the UK on animal welfare grounds, though the meat itself is not illegal. Photographed at a farm in Aude, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in south-central France.